Summary:

On 20 February 2024, police arrested two former senior employees of Banque Nationale Agricole (BNA), marking the latest steps in President Kais Saied’s anti-corruption campaign.

The two former officials were not named in most news reports, but included a former Director General with the bank and former General Secretary of the bank’s union. The government-run BNA bank has a long history in Tunisia, with a particularly strong presence in rural areas where it is focused on providing banking products to the agricultural sector.

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The two individuals who were arrested can be held for five days while the investigation continues into charges including the exploitation of their positions for personal benefit, money laundering, and harming the administration.

In September 2023, President Saied signaled plans to investigate corruption at BNA, indicating that the bank had been issuing loans to people and companies that did not exist.

Outlook: 

The arrest of senior BNA officials comes on the heels of the recent arrests at the Al Fouledh steel factory in Bizerte. Both cases have drawn particular attention from President Saied and, for the moment, appear to be serving as the jewels in his anti-corruption crown.

With a presidential election scheduled for later this year, President Saied is likely to continue placing the broadly supportive anti-corruption campaign at the center of his administration’s communication strategy. With many Tunisians frustrated with manifestations of corruption in their daily lives as they interact with state-operated entities, it is an effective rallying cry.

Regardless of the specific legal resolutions to the individual cases, the actions taken are likely already having the desired impact by demonstrating to the electorate the administration’s willingness to put pressure on those perceived to be benefitting from corruption.

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